Much is unknown about health effects of e-cigarettes
Instead of lighting up a cigarette, many people are now using electronic cigarettes as a healthier alternative to the bad habit. But what are the risks of using these relatively new devices?
One local doctor says it is not entirely clear yet if there are any harmful effects from using electronic cigarettes.
“There's not a lot known at least in the way of studies,” said Dr. Mark Provenzano, pulmonologist with Butler Health System Pulmonary Associates. “There's a bit of data, but it's conflicting.”
Provenzano sees patients with a variety of lung disorders, a large portion of which have smoke-related lung issues.
Some studies suggest that using an electronic cigarette helps with smoking cessation, Provenzano said.
Some people have switched completely from smoking cigarettes to using e-cigarettes and have noticed a health difference in their overall well-being and breathing, anecdotal evidence shows.
However, Provenzano said some people continue to smoke, albeit less than before, while using e-cigarettes.
“I don't know if there's a real benefit of going from a pack of cigarettes a day to 10 cigarettes a day and continuing to be nicotine dependent by way of cigarettes and e-cigarettes,” he said. “It doesn't change their behavior. They just sort of rob Peter to pay Paul.”
Electronic cigarettes were created in 2003 in China. They were first marketed in 2006 in the U.S., Provenzano said.
Electronic cigarettes convert liquid, or vape juice, into vapor that is inhaled. Some look like traditional combustible cigarettes while others have large battery packs and tanks that allow them to hold more liquid, produce larger vapor clouds and last longer.
Vape juice comes with various concentrations of nicotine and comes without nicotine.
While the health effects of using electronic cigarettes are not well known or documented yet, Provenzano said there are other concerns about vaping.
The electronic cigarette industry is largely unregulated by any federal agency, he said.
Additionally, while some people use e-cigarettes as a way to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes, Provenzano said it has also been seen as a possible gateway for children to begin smoking. The vape juice comes in an almost endless variety of flavors, including sweet and candylike flavors that might be appealing to younger people.
“The marketing is toward adolescents and younger people,” Provenzano said.
While much is unknown, Provenzano said studies show that the younger generation perceives electronic cigarettes as not harmful, especially compared to cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
He would like to see what the data and studies say about the electronic cigarettes in 20 or 30 years to see long-term effects. Provenzano fears history repeating itself, as the way cigarettes were viewed as safe until the 1950s and 1960s.
“I have countless patients that say if I had known when I was 20 that these were harmful, I never would have started,” he said. “It's this whole push that (vaping) isn't as harmful as lighting up … I don't think we have enough information to say that.”
